Game journals for board games I engage in, mostly PBEM.
Some journals are updated while the game is ongoing, some afterwards.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Here I Stand (HIS105) - Ongoing

Ed Beach--the designer of this game--and Mark Greenwood graciously offered to referee multiple games, providing a learning experience for new players and a matchmaking service for getting multiple players together. HIS 105 is one of those games.

Diplomacy:The English conclude negotiations with the Hapsburgs and French with no announcements.

Diet of Worms:Protestants play Knights of St John, Papacy plays Mercenaries Grow Restless, Hapsburgs play Field Artillery. The Protestants get 6 dice while the Catholics get just 3. The dice favor the Catholics, however, and the Diet ends inconclusively with no spaces changing sides.

Spring Deployment:The Ottomans deploy to Nezh, threatening the Hungarians in Belgrade. The Hapsburgs deploy to Innsbruck, threatening the French in Milan. Britain deploys to Calais, with unclear intentions. France deploys to Lyons, to protect Milan.

Action Phase:The Ottomans beseige and then assault Belgrade, taking control of the key space. Barbary Pirates also appear in Algiers, threatening commerce throughout the Mediterranean.

The Hapsburgs move on Milan (led by Ferdinand) and Metz (led by Charles V). Charles' forces are rebuffed when they attempt to assault Metz. Francis I hires mercenaries and moves to defend Milan for the French. In a pitched battle before the city, Francis I defeats the Hapsburgs.

The Papacy take control of Florence with the assistance of Siege Artillery, carting off her riches to aid in the building of St.Peter's.

The Protestants spend a good deal of time translating the New Testament into German, and will complete that project next turn. The Protestants also publish 2 treatises which enables them to make attempts to reform Madgeburg (succeeds), Lubeck (succeeds), Stettin (succeeds), Erfurt (succeeds).

The British declare war on Scotland and France declines to intervene. One suspects that an unannounced deal of some sort exists between France and England.

Both the British and French send out explorers to the New World.

New World Phase:

Explorers:

Hapsburgs: Orellana discovers the Pacific Strait, and attempts to Circumnavigate the globe, but instead finds the inside of a cannibal's kettle. 1VP for the Pacific Strait

British: Rut does his level best but in the end is only able to make it back to England with his own skin.

French: Roberval is second to the Pacific Strait, but chickens out on circumnavigation and discovers the Amazon River instead. 2VP for the Amazon River.

Conquests:

Hapsburgs: Cortez fails in his attempt to conquer a native civilization.

Victory Determination Phase:

Ottoman: 12VP

Hapsburgs: 10VP

England: 9VP

France: 15VP

Papacy: 19VP

Protestant: 2VP

Turn 2

Diplomacy:The Hapsburgs and Papacy announce an alliance. The Hapsburgs give the Papacy a mercenary unit.

DoW:No declarations of war.

Spring Deployment:A Venetian Informant gives the Ottomans valuable information on the Hapsburg plans for the turn.

The Turks launch a Surprise Attack against Buda, eliminating the entire garrison (8CU) in one fell swoop. They follow up their win cautiously, converting Mohacs with a small detachment, but the bulk of the Army remain in Buda until Winter.

The English forces move against the Scots in Edinburgh, while their navies take up stations in the North Sea, blockading the Scottish port and bottling up her fleet. A series of assaults against Edinburgh damages the Scottish forces, but they are still hanging onto the city at turn's end.

Meanwhile, on the continent, Charles V reinforces his army with a glut of mercenaries, most of them going to Vienna to defend against the Turkish horde. Charles himself leads a force from Besancon to beseige Metz. Francis I recruits mercenaies and leads his French forces to oppose Charles at Metz, bringing along Field Artillery. Despite the advantage of artillery, the field battle results in heavy casulaties (3CU) to both sides and both sides are forced to retreat from Metz.

Charles is named Defender of the Faith and reinforces his Army (for another move against Metz) as well as the fort in Besancon. The French also reinforce and move on the Hapsburg fortress at Besancon, which they conquer. Francis I's mercenary army rises up in revolt however, and Francis is forced to spend resources paying them. While France is distracted paying her mercenaries, Charles finally manages to conquer the independent-minded people of Metz.

Leo X dies early in 1524 and Clement VII becomes the new Pope. He believes his predecessor did not take an active enough stance against the Reformation and vows to challenge it head-on. His first action as Pope is to excommunicate the heretic Zwingli and call for a theological debate in Germany.

Cajetan is sent by the Holy See and Carlstadt is designated to oppose him on the Protestant side, though at the last minute, Luther arrives to replace Carlstadt. After days of debate, Luther and Cajetan have made little progress and both men are exhausted, so Eck takes Cajetan's place and Melanchthon takes Luther's place. Eck outperforms his Protestant counterpart, bringing the people of Erfurt and Zurich back into the Catholic fold.

And then a perfect storm hits for the Protestants!

First, the Papal mercenaries in Nuremburg desert, depriving the Papacy of much-needed muscle against the spread of the Reformation. Then the Printing Press is unveiled to the world, which will enable the Protestant faith to spread more rapidly this turn. It's immediate impact is limited, with Erfurt and Hamburg rejecting the Protestant faith and only Brunswick converting. The naming of Charles V Defender of the Faith enables the Pope to re-convert Leipzig to Catholicism, though the people of Brunswick and Erfurt are unmoved.

The Pope calls for a second debate, hand-picking Aleander as his representative. Aleander is tongue-tied against Bucer, however, and as a result Kassel and Nuremburg convert to the Protestant faith.

Luther completes work on the New Testament translation and, aided by the printing press, word spreads like wildfire. Soon everyone in Germany is reading the Bible for themselves and free-thinking becomes a dangerous epidemic. Erfurt, Leipzig, Hamburg, and Mainz all convert. Koln and Bremen remain staunchly Catholic.

Then the Protestants, whose cup is brimming over with high-value cards, complete work on the Old Testament as well! Bremen, Munster, Koln, Worms, and Augsburg all convert! Only Trier remains loyal to the Pope.

Since all Protestant reformers are committed and without any spaces ripe for conversion, the Pope calls for yet another debate. But the luck of the draw does not help the Pope. Campeggio is forced to take on Luther who despite being tired is able to hold off Campeggio and force a second round. The Papacy sends Tetzel out and Melanchthon shows up for the Protestants. In the end, the Pope is lucky to escape with no damage done against the best two Protestant debaters!

As 1527 winds to a close, Luther publishes a final treatise, converting Trier, while Regensburg remains loyal. In the end, Germany is a sea of protestant spaces!

Ottoman Pirates are active in the Mediterranean, garnering VP for the Sultan.

France sends an Explorer to the New World. England sets up a colony at Roanoake. The Hapsburgs set up a colony in Hispaniola.

French: Francis and 6CU to St. Dizier, threatening Metz and other Hapsburg holdings

Papacy: 1CU to Brunswick to try to beat back the Reformation

Protestants: None

Action Phase:

Suleiman moves his army to Vienna, while the Duke of Alva leads his forces in a strategic withdrawl to Graz in the face of the Turkish host. Suleiman neglects to secure his lines of communication and a rebellion breaks out in Buda, returning the city to Hungarian/Hapsburg control and cutting Suleiman off. Suleiman dispatches Ibrahim and 4CU to Buda, to deal with the upstart Hungarians. And, as if things could not get more fragmented for the invading Turks, Roxelana calls Suleiman back to Istanbul just as the Duke of Alva leads his forces in an attack against the Turks in Vienna. The leaderless Turks still manage to hold the field by sheer dint of numbers, sending the Hapsburgs back to Graz. Charles joins his army in Graz, but is never able to put his forces into motion against Vienna and by turn's end, the Ottoman are in possession of the Hapsburg capital.

Ibrahim's's attempt to assualt Buda faces stiff opposition from the small Hungarian garrison. Two successive waves of Turkish fighters are driven back with losses, without making so much as a dent in the walls of the city. A third reinforced wave finally manages to storm the city and deal with the Hungarians.

Henry leads his Army back into Scotland to continue the assault on Edinburgh. The assault is short and brutal, and Henry flies the flag of England over the ramparts at Edinbugh, alongside the heads of traitors on pikes.

Content with his holdings, Francis adds onto his Chateaux and sips wine, but only briefly before he puts his army into motion against Metz, beseiging the Hapsburg city. His absence and constant fighting with Charles V leads Charles Bourbon to join the Hapsburg cause, raising an army in Avignon. Francis, alarmed at news of the insurrection, resolves to complete his seige of Metz before dealing with the Bourbon traitor, and is able to do so after just one assault on the cities walls. His attention no longer diverted, he gives orders for mercenaries to be raised in Marseille and Lyon to protect them from Bourbon's army.

With virtually no spaces in Germany suitable for book burning, the Pope calls a Leipzig debate and sends Eck as his personal choice. Word reaches Luther late, and he barely arrives in time to replace Carlstadt. The sudden substitution flummoxes Eck, who is unable to make a single coherent argument. He loses the debate to Luther and along with it, the Pope loses control of Strasburg and Salzburg.

The Schmalkaldic League forms and suddenly Germany is not only under Protestant religious influence, but also under Protestant political influence. The lone Papal CU in Brunswick is feeling a tad isolated as a result.

Undeterred, the Pope calls for another debate, hoping to take advantage of the committed Luther and Carlstadt and get Carlstadt into a debate. Unfortunately for the Pope, not only does Luther show up for the Protestants, but Tetzel is the only debater available to the Pope. Amazingly, Tetzel goes toe-to-toe with Luther and forces a second round to the debate. Once again, the Pope scrapes the bottom of the barrel to come up with Cajetan, who will face the uncommitted Bullinger. Cajetan out-debates Bullinger, and the two worst Papal debaters manage to sway Bremen and Hamburg back to the Catholic faith.

Luther responds by penning a pair of treatises and distributing them to the few remaining Catholic centres in and around Germany and Switzerland. Innsubruck, Basel, Zurich, and Regensburg all convert to the Protestant faith.

In response, the Pope excommunicates Luther and calls for yet another debate. The Pope sends Campeggio as his representative and, with Luther unavailable, Bullinger must stand up for the Protestants, from among the committed debaters. The weary Bullinger is not up to the task, and Campeggio's exhortations sway the people of Strasburg. From his hiding place, Luther responds in kind, calling for his own debate. Melanchthon takes on Contarini, defeating the Pope and changing the minds of the fickle citizens of Strasburg.

Henry VIII, unable to conceive, divorces Catherin of Aragon and marries Anne Boleyn. Unfortunately for Henry, Anne is no more successful producing an heir than his previous wife.

The Protestants scribble away on a French version of the New Testament. The Pope hires mercenaries to defend Florence and replace the papal unit stationed in Brunswick which is dying off deep in the heart of Protestant territory. The Hapsburgs bulk up their armies and fleets in Antwerp and Brussels. The Ottoman raises Janissaries in Coron and Istanbul. Pirates attack Hapsburg possessions in the Mediterranean, losing a corsair, but carting off some of their riches in the process. The Genoese, fearful of the Ottoman Prates, throw their lot in with the Hapsburgs.

The Hapsburgs start a colony in Cuba while the English send an Explorer into the New World.

New World Phase:

Explorers:

English: Willoughby discovers the Great Lakes for 1 VP.

Colonies:

Roanoake: Card for England

Hispaniola: Nothing

Cuba: Card for Hapsburgs

Victory Determination Phase:

Ottoman: 21VP

Hapsburgs: 11VP

England: 12VP

France: 21VP

Papacy: 16VP

Protestant: 19VP

Turn 4

Diplomacy:

The Hapsburgs and Papacy continue their (thusfar ill-fated and ineffective) alliance

The French and Papacy declare a White Peace

DoW:No declarations of war.

Spring Deployment:A Venetian Informant gives the Ottomans valuable information on the Hapsburg plans for the turn.

Ottomans: Suleiman, and 8 CU to Vienna, to continue their battle with the Hapsburgs

Hapsburgs: Ferdinand and 5 CU to Cartagena, intentions unclear.

English: Henry and 5 CU to Calais, threatening the continent.

French: No deployment.

Papacy: No deployment.

Potestant: No deployment.

Action Phase:

The Turks move their navies into positions in the Ionian Sea and Barbary Coast and bolster the defenses of Algiers. But the threat appears to be to Vienna instead. Charles Bourbon appears with an Army in Prague, ready to fight with the Turks. Charles relocates to Linz and hires 5 mercenary CUs to join him there, although 2CU worth of Landsknecht desert him soon afterwards. Unsanitary Camp conditions hamper the Ottoman forces, reducing them by 3CU.

Roxalana call Suleiman home (again), leaving the Turk forces to the mercy of Charles and his Bourbon Army allies, who immediately attack. Charles is finally successful in battle, driving the Turkish forces from Vienna (although a token force is left behind the battlements) despite the best efforts of the Janissaries to salvage the situation. After a brief seige, Charles defeats the Turkish remnant force and returns Vienna to Hapsburg control.

Charles success emboldens the citizens of Belgrade. The City State Rebels and Bulgarians seize control of Belgrade.Ottoman pirates attack and their forces are decimated (3 corsairs lost) in exchange for taking a fleet down (to prevent another VP for the Turks).

England finishes taking control of Scottish spaces (Glascow, Stirling), and moves her navy into the English Channel before declaring war on France. The English move on Rouen and build forces in Calais. The French intercept in Rouen, dealing 4 hits to the English's 3 hits, in a bloody repulse. After the battle, the French build up their forces and bolster their defenses in Paris.

Henry reinforces his army and moves against Paris, setting up a seige. Francis brings a seige relief force to Paris immediately and defeats the English, sending them into a headlong retreat. A lull follows, during which Henry builds up his forces in Calais and Francis reinforces his Armies in Paris and Rouen.

Clement VII dies early in 1532 and his successor is Paul III. Paul wastes no time in excommunicating a young firebrand named John Calvin who has been stirring up trouble in France. Paul III then calls for a debate on French soil, hoping to stem the tide of the Reformation there before it gets started. Tetzel appears for the Pope and Farel for the Protestants. Tetzel is masterful and 2 spaces are converted back to Catholicism: Geneva and Brunswick.

Despite his excommunication, Calvin puts the final touches on a French translation of the New Testament, which sweeps through France, converting Metz, Besancon, Geneva, and Grenoble. Liege and Lyon remain faithful to the Pope. He immediately follows that up with work on a translation of the full Bible.

The Pope call for yet another debate on French soil, this time selecting Eck as his hand-picked representative, taking on the committed Farel. Eck finally manages to win a debate, although hope that he might do well enough to burn Farel is dashed. In any event, Becancon and Metz are flipped back to the Catholic side. Their conversion is brief, however, as a treatise by Luther sways them right back.

Seeing the impact these treatises are having, the Pope decides to stage some book burnings in Besancon and Metz, to teach a lesson. Angry mobs are organized. Books are piled up for burning. But someone forgets the torches and neither space converts. Another angry mob is organized later in the year and this time they bring torches. Geneva, Besancon, and Metz all convert. The Pope decides to immediately follw this up with a debate, once again picking on the committed French debaters. Unfortunately, Contarini fails the Pope in his debate with Farel and loses a space back.

The Old Testament translation is completed and Besancon, Metz, Liege, Lyon, Dijon, and Orleans all convert.

Indugence Vendors have a particularly successful month, and 3CP flows into the building of St. Peter's.

England sends an Explorer to the New World, the Hapsburgs send Cabot, and France sends an Explorer along with Mercator's Map. France adds a wing onto her chateaux and enjoys a fine wine. The Hapsburgs increase the size of their fleet in Naples. Copernicus brings some VPs to England.

New World Phase:

Explorers:

France: Verrazano finds the Mississippi (1VP)

English: Chancellor is unable to find anything.

Hapsburgs: Cabot finds the St Lawrence (1VP)

Colonies:

Roanoake (Eng): Eliminated

Hispaniola (Hap): Card for Hapsburgs

Cuba (Hap): Nothing

Victory Determination Phase:

Ottoman: 17VP

Hapsburgs: 14VP

England: 14VP

France: 23VP

Papacy: 14VP

Protestant: 23VP

France and The Protestants are both within 2VP of winning.Turn 4Diplomacy: The Pope and Hapsburgs renew their alliance. The Turks declare war on the French.

The Turks add Janissaries to their army and 2 naval squadrons which take up positions in the Barbary Coast. France adds a squadron in Rouen and mercenaries in Paris. England adds a squadron and moves fleets into the English Channel. Henry VIII announces the birth of a healthy boy, christened Edward. The Hapsburgs build a fleet of Galleons with which to cart treasures from the New World and send emmisaries with smallpox-laden blankets on a voyage of conquest to the new world. Francis adds a fourth wing onto his chateaux.

Then Turkish Pirates attack the French port of Marseilles and gain 2VP for their efforts. Hapsburg troops pour through the pass from Barcelona to lay seige to Avignon where they eventually establish Hapsburg control. Charles V moves forces from Avignon to Marseilles, placing the port under seige. Treachery insures that Marseilles falls to the initial assault, despite the Hapsburgs suffering the only losses.

He also sends a detachment from his army under Ferdinand to the electorate of Augsburg, placing the Protestant forces their under seige as well. The Hapsburgs identify the wek point in the Protestant defenses, swarming into the city and cause 3CU losses to the Protestants, while suffering no casulaties. Augsburg falls.

The English attempt to transport an army to Calais, but Foul Weather turns them back. Instead they build a mercenary in Calais. The French seize the opportunity to attack Calais, but the army is inercepted in Boulogne by Brandon and a small force. Swiss Mercenaries join the English just in time for the battle, enabling the English to fight the French to a draw and force them to rereat. Smarting from his defeat, Francis sends out a call for more troops in Lyon and Rouen.

Henry is finally able to make the trip across the Channel, landing with 4CU in Boulogne to join Brandon's army. The French recruit 3CU worth of mercs and move to Boulogne to attack Henry. The English fall back to Calais, however.The Pope, faced with the rapid spread of Protestants, sends Carrafa to organize book burning in Orleans, Dijon, and Metz, all of which revert to Catholicism. The Protestants respond with a treatise of their own, supported by Farel, which reconverts Metz. With Farel committed, the Pope calls for a debate in France, with Pole taking on Farel and winning one space back to Catholicism, which turns out to be Metz.

The Protestants move a unit to Brunswick, one of only three Catholic spaces left in Germany and later converts the last remaining Catholic spaces in Germany: Brunswick, Bremen, and Hamburg. With germany lost, the Pope continues to burn Protestant hymnals in France, converting Lyon, although Besancon remains Protestant.

Unhappy with the effect of flames on books, the Pope decides to see if he can put flames to human flesh. He calls for a debate and names Eck to appear, despite the fact that Eck has not yet lived up to his lofty reputation. Still, with the committed Farel opposing him, he may be able to torch a Protestant debater. But, Eck remian true to form and is only able to score a minor victory over Farel, converting Besancon. Besancon's conversion is short-lived, since the Protestant's publish a treatise and commit Calvin himself to disseminate it, which causes Besancon and Metz, but not Lyons.

Resisting the urge to burn Eck and facing a shortage of uncommitted debaters, the Pope organizes two book burnings in France, which converts Besancon, Liege, Metz, and Grenoble. Building on that success, the Pope organizes a further book burning, converting Geneva but not Salzburg. The Protestants organize their own debate in Germany, with Bucer taking on Campeggio. As is typical in this game, the debate does not go as planned for the initiator, and the Bucer's debate win convinces Regensburg to come back to the flock. Treatises published in France, however, convert Liege and Metz.

Fuggers pour resources into the Protestant coffers, though the rates are usorious. It does allow them to continue feverish work on an English translation of the New Testament. The Pope adds a little bit onto St. Peters. The Hapsburgs add a colony in Puerto Rico.

The Persians are forced to send troops off to fight a War in Persia, but not before they retake Belgrade.New World Phase:

Explorers/Conquistadors:

Hapsburgs: Cordova conquers the Inca (2VP) and the Inca treasure yeilds a card

Colonies:

Hispaniola (Hap): Card for Hapsburgs due to Galleons

Cuba (Hap): Eliminated

Puerto Rico (Hap): No effect

Victory Determination Phase:

Ottoman: 21VP

Hapsburgs: 17VP

England: 19VP

France: 22VP

Papacy: 16VP

Protestant: 19VP

France and The Ottoman are both within a few VP of winning.Turn 5Diplomacy: A lot of activity on the diplomatic front:

The Papal/Hapsburg Alliance continues.

The Holy Roman Emperor accepts the loan of the Papal fleet. In payment for the loan, and prior considerations, the Hapburgs grant the Papal forces 4 mercenaries.

The alliance between England and the Hapsburgs continues.

The Hapsburgs loan the Dutch fleet to the English.

The Hapsburg war with France ends, under the following terms: France cedes control of Metz and Besancon to the Hapsburgs. France sends 1 mercenary to the Hapsburgs. The Hapsburgs cede Marseilles, Avignon and Nice to the French. Neither side shall be declared the victor or vanquished.